


/\ ^ 203 
/I l'.W3 S4 

Copy i 



Washington Monument 



MONOGRAPH. 



AS DESIGNED BY 



.^■' ' 



HENRY R. SEARLE, 

Architect, 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Gibson Brothers, Printers. 






/- IF 203 
/ 1.4 

Copy 1 



/ 



W^ashington Monument 



MONOGRAPH, 



AS DESIGNED BY 



HENRY R. SEARLE 

'7" 
Architect. 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 
Gibson Brothers, Printers. 



\ 




In making this design several ideas presented themselves 
which seemed important to be considered : First, would 
the foundation sustain the weight of the required height, 
and especially with the increased localized pressure in a 
storm of wind ; second, the mere obelisk appeared only 
as an enlarged plagiarism, in no way illustrating the memory 
of Washington personally, or those connected with him, 
or the history of this growing country ; third, there is 
nothing whatever aesthetic about it, and nothing that would 
impress the visitor, whether native or foreign, with the 
grandeur of the work of Washington and his coadjutors in 
founding this nation; and, last, to utilize the work already 
done, so that we should not earn the name of a people who 
build but to tear down. 

The first question was an important one, as it really con- 
trolled the whole construction, for if the Monument would 
not withstand the force of the elements it Would be useless 
to build it. 

According to the report of the Board of Officers of the 
Corps of Engineers, consisting of Colonel J. D. Kurtz, 
General J. C. Duane, and General Q. A. Gillmore, ap- 
pointed to examine and report upon the stability of the 
foundation, the soil on which the structure stands would 
be compressed three-sixteenths of an inch by the weight of 
the proposed height of this design, if the pressure was 
purely a perpendicular one ; but when there is a heavy 
wind-storm the pressure upon one side of the shaft pro- 
duces too great a weight upon the soil under the opposite 
side. While it was from choice, for harmony of design, 
that the base of the Monument is made in three pyramidi- 
cal terraces, it at the same time gives an opportunity to so 



brace the shaft as to make it perfectly safe, as the buttresses 
of the steps to the first terrace are continued to the face of 
the shaft, forming two strong buttress walls on each side, 
I 20 feet long and 74 feet high above the ground next to 
the shaft; in addition to this the covering of each terrace 
forms a horizontal flange, which has a tendency to still fur- 
ther strengthen the whole work, and the shaft is firmly 
supported as if in a socket, so that it could only settle per- 
pendicularly, and that but slightly ; still, any possible con- 
tingency can be avoided by building the re-enforcement 
wall, as proposed in the recent report of the Board of Offi- 
cers of the Engineeer Corps, and a large portion of the 
expense of it would be utilized, as it would form the foun- 
dation for the face wall to the third terrace. 

To make use of that portion of the Monument already 
built it necessitated a design which would have something 
of the obelisk appearance; but it has been my study to pro- 
duce a monumental shaft which should be sufficiently origi- 
nal that it could be safely adopted as an American Monu- 
ment. To enter more into a detail description of the 
design, commencing at the bottom, the base of the Monu- 
ment is formed ot three unequal pyramidical terraces, the 
lower one 20 feet high and 40 feet wide on the top ; the 
second one 24 feet high and 30 feet wide; the third, or 
upper one, 30 feet high and 24 feet wide, making the com-' 
bined height of these terraces 74 feet ; the face of each ter- 
race is to be on a difl^ercnt angle, formed by a line from the 
under side of the cornice at the top of the shaft, touching 
the upper corner of the terrace, and extending down to the 
next level. The length of each front of the lower terrace, 
in which is included the width of all the terraces doubled, 
and the width of the base of the shaft, will be about 250 
feet. 

Above the upper terrace is a casing of four feet in thick- 
ness and 40 feet high around the present shaft, to give it 
another base, and not to start the shaft too abruptly from 
the terraces. Above this again, at a proper proportioned 
distance, is a cornice, from which the shaft is divided by 



■deep groves into what might be termed three pilasters, 
which extend up to the cornice or capital. This capital, 
including all its members, is 38 feet high, and has as a 
member a large flat cove of 17 feet, which is foliated, the 
originals for the foliage being natural plants of the country. 
The upper member of this capital forms a balustrade, from 
which visitors can have an extended view of the surround- 
ing country. Above this the shaft finishes to a point, in 
the form of a pyramid, in overlapping sections, making the 
the whole height of the Monument, from the ground to the 
top, 530 feet. 

The face of the terraces at the base are to be built of 
buttresses formed of massive blocks of granite, in courses of 
about four feet high each, the joints cut with V-shaped 
channels, and the face of the stone left in bold rock-work, 
the width of the buttresses to be from 12 to 8 feet, the 
widest for the lower terrace and the narrowest for the 
upper one, and to be built with the pyramidicaJ angle, as 
above described; between these heavy buttresses the wall 
is to be plumb, and a pedestal of granite formed by the 
difference between the angle of the face and the plurfib 
wall, with the additional projection of about two feet, thus 
leaving a space between the buttresses which will average 
20 feet long and 12 feet high. These spaces, of which 
there will be a number, are to be filled with a light-colored 
sandstone, about five feet thick, left in rough rock-work, to 
be cut at some future time into colossal stone pictures, 
illustrating the scenes in which Washington took a promi- 
nent part, or such other historical events of the past and 
future of the country as the people may desire. 

On the upper terrace facing east, with the granite casing 
of the lower part of the shaft for a background, and on a 
suitable pedestal, is to be a colossal statue of Washington, 
about 22 feet in height. On the west face may be a statue 
of John Adams, the first Vice-President, or such other 
statue or group as desired. 

On the upper edge of each terrace is a massive cornice, 
which forms a balustrade four feet high above the covering 



of the terrace, and over each buttress in the face of the ter- 
races the cornice forms into a post or pedestal, the corner 
ones being from eight to six feet square, ihe larger ones on 
the lower terrace and the smaller on the upper one ; and 
on these corner pedestals it is designed to place colossal 
groups of statuary. The other pedestals can be used for 
single statues, if desired. 

On the outside of the Monument the terraces are reached 
by a flight of steps on the four sides of the lower terrace, 
and from the first to the second terrace the steps are on the 
north and south sides, and from the second to the third 
terrace the steps arc on the east and west side ; from the 
upper terrace ingress to the interior of the Monument is 
had by means of massive portals on the north and south 
sides. The steps are a subordinate feature in the design,, 
and in no way detract from the necessary and desired mas- 
siveness of the terraces, and at the same time give oppor- 
tunity for the execution of elaborate and delicate aesthetic 
detail and ornament, the rest of the work being of a colos- 
sal nature. 

*• The top of each terrace is to be formed by means of 
heavy wrought-iron girders and brick arches, averaging two 
feet in thickness, and covered with tile, or some similar 
material. The lower portion of the walls of the second 
and third terraces, which is below the covering, is to be 
opened by arches, supported on very massive posts, giving, 
on the inside of the terraces thousands of feet in area 
and wall surface for tablets, grouping of tombs, and memo- 
rials of men and deeds connected with the past and future of 
this nation. All other countries of importance have a simi- 
lar place, and although this idea is not a new one, it seemed 
to me this would be a suitable place for it, as this space 
will be well lighted by deep-recessed windows in the face 
of the terraces, above and partly hidden by the stone 
pictures between the buttresses, and also by prismatic 
lights in the covering of the lirst and second terraces, im- 
mediately in front of the pedestals to the stone pictures 
on these terraces. 



The ventilation of this interior will be provided for by 
the casing of the shaft above the upper terrace being built 
hollow, and in the cornice of which will be openings for 
the escape of air; the sun the year round shining on the 
surface of this casing will sufficiently heat the air in the 
hollow space as to form a continued circulation. 

Ingress to this interior of the terraces is had from the 
outside by a doorway under the steps leading from the 
ground to the first terrace. On the inside, the present 
doorway in that portion of the Monument now built will 
be used. 

On the inside of the shaft will be an iron stairway, of 
easy grade and of straight run, each flight taking one side of 
the shaft, with quarter landings at each angle ; and to every 
four flights, making a rise of about 50 feet, will be a gal- 
lery entirely around the inside of the shaft, and so con- 
tinued until the top is reached. If desired, in the well 
inside the rail of the stairs there can be placed two steam 
elevators. 

The upper portion of the interior of the shaft is to be 
lighted by windows, which will be placed in the channels 
before described as dividing the shaft into three pilasters; 
and therefore will not mar the exterior of the shaft as they 
otherwise would. 

In following this description it will be seen that the 
work of the architect is finished when he has constructed 
the Monument with scientific skill to the outlines and pro- 
portions which give it impressive grandeur and stability, 
with such of the architectural details as are necessary, and 
which is also, comparatively, the inexpensive portion of it, 
being a matter of material and labor. But rhat which is to 
make the Monument historical, and give it the crowning 
of ssthetical excellence, is left to other minds and hands 
of future generations ; and as none but those who, by con- 
stant and faithful study, could show by their work to have 
earned a high reputation as sculptors, should be invited to 
compete for the execution of any portion of the statuary or 
reliefs, the desire to place their mark upon such a Monu- 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 




014 443 511 



ment could only be an incentive to our sculptors of the 
future to excellence. 

In making this design I have been prompted by the feel- 
ing which I believe is that of many — that in the designs 
which have been made for this Monument there has been 
a lack of originality in the general conception, and also in 
the combination of colossal grandeur with esthetic and his- 
toric beauty. The measure of my success in this attempt 
will be decided by those who have been chosen to have 
immediate charge of the work, and by the criticising public, 
with whom I leave the result. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




014 443 511 4 m 



HoUifi^er 

pH 8 J 

MiU Run H)5>2193 



